JOE’S ONE OF MY TOP MEN
Wright rates Saints defender in his list of best signings
Tommy Wright St Johnstone boss Tommy Wright reckons weekend goal hero Joe Shaughnessy has been one of his best signings.
The central defender has been a mainstay of the team since making the move from Aberdeen three years ago.
And Perth manager Wright hailed the consistency of his captain who came up with the goods to sink Hibernian at Easter Road on Saturday.
Shaughnessy’s contract runs out at the end of the season but the 26-year-old revealed he is a happy man at McDiarmid after the capital win. Joe Shaughnessy celebrates his last gasp goal against Hibernian Picture: PPA
“It was good to hear Joe saying he’s happy here and would like to stay,” Wright said.
“We have a number of players whose contracts are up at the end of the season.
“The chairman and I are always talking and making plans for the future, so it’s something we will be addressing soon.
“My job is to recommend the players we want to keep, sometimes the situations are different with various individuals.
“There will be players who we move on early and others who we wait a while with.
“That may suit some of them anyway.
“In Joe’s case, he has been one of my best signings.
“He has really grown into the team here since we signed him from Aberdeen and I think he’s also grown into the captaincy well too.
“His goal against Hibs summed him up, he showed aggression and determination to go and win the ball.
“I think he could score more goals for us because of the way he can attack the ball.
“I have been delighted with him in the three years he’s been here, he has played nearly every minute of every game he’s been available for since he arrived.
“To hear he wants to stay is always a good starting point for any negotiations and I think he’s someone there is still a lot more to come from.”
Shaughnessy’s 89th minute header against Hibernian secured Saints a fourth consecutive win and a fourth clean sheet in a row.
Speaking after the game, Wright said:“The performance was very satisfying.
“I judge away performances by how quiet you keep the crowd and we did that.
“Anyone who was at the game would see we have good players and we can play.
“We matched up to Hibs, we went toe-to-toe with them and in the end we came out on top.
“For me, it was pretty much the perfect away performance. We were dogged, we did our jobs but at the other end we were a real threat.
“I rate Lenny as one of the best managers in the country and his team are one of the most exciting teams in the league.
“So to come here and win is very pleasing.”
Wright is not getting ahead of himself, however, saying:“Four clean sheets and four wins in a row was the perfect response to the Celtic defeat.
“But nobody here will be getting ahead of themselves.
“I know people will now be looking at us and expecting us to beat Hamilton, but we don’t see it like that.
“We have plenty of respect for them, every year people tip them to go down and they make them look daft.
“Martin is a very good manager, they got a great result at the weekend.
“So we know we have to stay focused and will need to be at our best on Saturday.”
The Perth boss is hoping striker Tony Watt’s all-round play will soon be rewarded with a return to goal-scoring form.
“Even though Tony hasn’t scored recently, his work rate and his link-up play has been superb,”he said.
“There has been a maturity about his performances for us, he’s enjoying the role he’s playing for the team.
“I think it says everything that in the last three games when he’s come off he’s had a standing ovation from the supporters.
“They have really taken to him and he has really taken to the club.
“Tony is desperate to score goals and with the performances he’s been putting in it’s only a matter of time before he starts hitting the net again.”